All-Around Effort Pushes Team to Final

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – 100 minutes of play could not decide Friday afternoon's national semifinal matchup featuring the No. 4 Syracuse University field hockey team and No. 1 North Carolina. The game would come down to a penalty shootout and Orange junior midfielder Alyssa Manley came through with the game-winning goal on the squad's sixth shot of the shootout.

If one was to look at the team on paper, Manley's name may not appear instantly. Currently, Manley ranks sixth on the team in scoring with 15 points on three goals and nine assists on the year. But, if one was to witness the Orange in action, the Lititz, Pa. native is hard to miss.

"She's a team player, a total team player," assistant coach Tara Zollinger stated. "She's a great athlete. She likes to facilitate her teammates to put them into the most ideal position to be able to get an outcome. Defensively, she is really sound. I think that's just a natural ability with her."

Her performance against North Carolina goes much further than scoring the game-winner, Manley was all over the field in the Orange's victory. She tallied an assist on the team's second goal of the day, driving to the goal and finding freshman midfielder Lieke Visser on the far post. On the other end, she was constantly picking UNC's pocket and even registered a defensive save in the second half.

"I just knew it was really important to help out wherever we needed it," added Manley.

"She has really grown as a player," commented junior goalkeeper Jess Jecko. "In the central role in the midfield, she is dominant. I know if I call her name to get back on defense, she is going to recover and be there."

The junior midfielder has been recognized by her peers for her efforts on the pitch. She was recently named to the All-Mideast Region First Team for the second straight year. In addition, she earned All-ACC Second Team and All-ACC Championship Team accolades.

With the game on the line, Manley succeeded in the clutch. Cool and collected, Manley stepped in, dribbled past North Carolina sophomore goalkeeper Shannon Johnson, and backhanded a shot into the net to send Syracuse to its first-ever national final.

"When I got up to the line, I kind of forgot that we were playing and it felt like practice," stated Manley. "I was going, not really thinking about my surroundings. I just knew I needed to get the ball in the goal."

Now, Manley and the Orange will take on No. 3 Connecticut, the defending national champion, in the national final on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. in College Park, Md. The field hockey team is looking to become the first women's program in Syracuse athletics history to win a national title.

"Obviously, it would be great for the team," concluded Manley. "As a whole, it would be great for the Syracuse community to bring it home."

Syracuse University Athletics

Related News

Players Mentioned

Jess Jecko

Alyssa Manley

Lieke Visser

Related Videos